Analysis and characterization of reported changes in smell and taste perception resulting from COVID-19: a case study in Brazil

The infectious disease caused by the new coronavirus (COVID-19) caused numerous losses to the world population. About 716 thousand people died in Brazil due to this disease. Given the mandatory social distancing, the techniques that have been used during the pandemic to quantify and characterize sensory disorders in the population affected by COVID-19 are self-reported, through online questionnaires, phone calls and remote interviews. The present study aimed to analyze and characterize through online questionnaire and remote interviews the occurrence of possible changes in sensory perception of individuals who had total or partial loss of smell and or taste, since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. A total of 183 individuals responded to the questionnaire; 31% (57) reported having symptoms of total or partial loss of smell and, or taste since the beginning of the pandemic and of these, 30 were selected for the stage of remote interviews aiming at a deeper knowledge about daily life and changes caused by symptoms. Individuals who have been affected by sensory disorders and have the prevalence of these disorders may face limitations in their daily chores, changes in their eating habits, appetite, personal hygiene, and safety due to the lack of perception of warning signs coming from the sense of smell. The results show substantial concern about the quality of life attributable to olfactory and, or gustatory deficits, being considered as a public health case.